


Sort of Significant Others

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1484509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I only think intently about naked women when I'm with you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sort of Significant Others

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the same universe as Ask Me, Ask Me, Ask Me and Casual Fridays.

“They were fighting again last night.” Ursula rolled her eyes as she lit the clove. Then she handed the cigarette case and the lighter back to Erin.

“Are you sure? It’s not like they make much noise when they're doing it.”

Ursula’s father was nearly deaf. Sign language was his preferred mode of communication though he could do so verbally as well. He had no hearing in his left ear and only about 40% in his right. His hearing loss had been progressive, had been happening since he was nine years old. Paul Kent never let it stop him from doing all he wanted to do. 

Now he was a tenured professor of Communications at George Washington University in DC. Her mother Pegene was a playwright, former actress, and social butterfly. No one quite understood how the two of them got together but it worked for a good while. Maybe it wasn’t working anymore.

“My dad has this thing. When he's pissed off and thinks the mother isn’t listening to him, he bangs his fist on something to get her attention. There was plenty of fist banging last night. Plus he came upstairs and slept in Bettina’s old room. I confronted him about it while he was brushing his teeth in my bathroom this morning. He lied to me but I didn’t let on.”

“Is it really bad?” Erin asked.

Her parents didn’t fight a lot. At least she’d never really seen or heard it. There had been a few when she was younger, both Erich Strauss and his wife were headstrong people. Her father liked having the last word and her mother hated being told what to do. 

So there were clashes. But she was never one of those kids who spent her childhood or teen years worried that she’d soon be the product of a broken home. Maybe she was just delusion. Perhaps she was lucky. Erin wasn’t quite sure.

“The mother wants to go away to Switzerland for three months to live at a writer’s retreat so she can finish her play. The father thinks this is about more than writing. Not just that though, as the mother has had her dalliances in the past. He thinks she should be home with us, at least in DC. He thinks she should be spending time with me and being a mother just as he's a father.”

“How do you feel about that?” Erin asked.

“I'm indifferent.” Ursula shrugged. “Apparently, so is she.”

“Are you really indifferent?”

“Please don’t shrink me, babe.”

“I'm not, I promise.” Erin held up her hands in defense. “I'm just worried about you. I know how much I love my mother.”

“She and I have never been close.” Ursula reasoned. “I don’t know if it’s fucked up or not, OK it’s pretty fucked up. But its life. I think the best thing for me is not to focus so much on it. I have my dad at least.”

“Is your mom going to Switzerland?” Erin asked.

“Probably…she does what she wants. This could be the nail in that marriage’s coffin. I know they loved each other once but they're not making each other happy right now. Bettina and I are grown up; it’s better to just end it now.”

“I'm sorry.” Erin put her hand on her best friend’s shoulder. 

Ursula was strong, or at least that was the mask she always wore. Erin wore the same one so she understood. But one thing she always wanted Ursula to know was that she could be honest when they were together. They didn’t have to play clichéd roles in their friendship. When things were good that was fine. When they weren’t then they would always have each other. 

There was also Elizabeth, whom they'd known nearly as long as they'd known each other. But showing much weakness in her presence wasn’t the best idea. She was just as three-dimensional as they were. She had feelings and could express emotions. Elizabeth just preferred not to and felt intense discomfort when other people did it in front of her. There was a reason the three girls were as close as they were.

“I appreciate that.” Ursula patted her hand. “I'm totally fine though. Next week I'm going to be busy finishing my story for the Gibson Initiative Internship. The mother said I shouldn’t wait until the last minute but I plan to have it in the mail over a week before the due date. I actually think they would’ve already read all the shitty shit by then so my awesome story will appear even awesomer.”

“Awesomer totally isn’t a word.”

“Don’t break my stride, Strauss.”

“My bad. What happens if you win?”

“I’ll get a six week internship this summer in New York. God, could you imagine? I’ll be on the front line of queer and feminist intersectionality through media. I’ll meet so many awesome people who’ve been fighting this fight longer than I've even been alive. And I’ll get to be in New York by myself. Well, mostly by myself. My cousin Amanda lives in Brooklyn so I’ll be staying in her spare bedroom while I'm there. 

“Second place will win a three-week internship,” Ursula said. “Which isn’t as cool but I’d still jump at the chance. Third place is a chance to be a part of the Gibson Initiative Convention four days over August in New York. There will be networking but not even close to what it would be if I can get an internship. I have little doubt I'm going to be in the top two.”

“You're an amazing writer.” Erin said. “You have been for a long time. This is your chance to prove it to everyone.”

“I don’t care about everyone.” Ursula shook her head. “I just care about me. Though I can admit to throwing this one in the mother’s face. It might not be a scholarship to dance with the English National Ballet School and all that jazz but it’s pretty damn awesome.”

“Agreed. Hey, can I talk to you about something?”

“What's wrong?” Ursula plucked the clove out into the Strauss yard. She felt bad for about a minute, knowing that filtered cigarettes weren’t biodegradable. She lit another to take her mind off it.

“Nothing’s wrong. I've just been keeping some things to myself for a while and I want to talk about them.”

“You can talk to me about anything.” She handed the cigarette case back. “Smoke one of these; I hate going it alone.”

Erin nodded, and lit a clove. Her parents weren’t around so she wasn’t worried about getting caught. Her mom might have been bearable, though a lecture would surely be in order, but her father would’ve gone apeshit. Girls who smoked, socially or otherwise, were never going to be Olympic class athletes. Erich Strauss believed his daughter had the drive and talent to be that. It was hers to lose. She was sure he thought smoking was for losers. Erin wasn’t in the mood to hear it at the moment.

“I've been um…” Erin took a deep breath. She inhaled the clove, exhaled it, and glanced at Ursula. Her best friend was looking out on dusk in Alexandria, Virginia. They were both going to expose some blood and guts this evening. It was probably a good thing they wouldn’t see much of each other next week. They would need to sew the pieces back together again. Hopefully as they got older this shit would get easier. “So I've been hooking up with David Rossi.”

“He must be thrilled.” Ursula smirked.

“I think that’s a good interpretation.”

“Are you two a _thing_ thing?”

“No.” Erin waved her hands with too much enthusiasm. “No, no, no, hell no. Not at all.”

“Damn Strauss, you mean that.” Ursula laughed.

“It’s just a casual thing.”

“How casual?”

“Very casual.” Erin replied. “It’s like sex and ice cream. We saw one movie and had Vietnamese food once.”

“That’s definitely high on the casual spectrum.” Ursula nodded. “Rossi’s cool.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. I mean no one can deny that he’s attractive if you're into that sort of thing. He's cocky and witty and wears ridiculous shoes and that leather jacket like a fuckin peacock. He's got an amazing head of hair. I imagine he has a large cock and would be prone to talking about himself too much given the chance. One of those things is good and one is bad.”

“His cock is respectable.” Erin said. “It’s very respectable.”

“I'm glad to hear it. How long has this been going on?”

“Like a month.”

“A month?” Ursula looked at her. “No shit?”

“Yes. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Since last summer when he hit on you at Jordan Todd’s party.”

“Damn, I don’t know if I could’ve kept it secret for that long.” Erin said. “I pretty much ignored him that night.”

“Didn’t even hook up with him?” Ursula asked.

“Nope. I now know from experience that I was missing out.” She smiled some. “I just don’t want this to become a thing.”

“It’s already a thing.”

“I mean like a _thing_ thing, you know? I'm so busy and I don’t have time for a boyfriend. I've got school, debate, fencing…I'm going to spend my summer practicing and competing in three major competitions as well as Nationals. It’s not going to be easy to beat Amanda Gilroy. It needs to be my main focus.”

“Do you want to go to the Olympics?” Ursula asked.

“I don't know.” Erin sighed.

“I bet you every other girl competing at Nationals has a different answer. I know Amanda Gilroy does. By the way, I don’t think she can beat you when it comes down to it. But it’s not like I'm some fencing expert or something.”

“I stayed at junior elite level last year because I hadn’t put in the work to compete with the big girls. I’d rather win a silver there than not place at all at the highest level. It’s time to go big or go home. I know I'm not ready for the Olympics but I may as well give it up now if I can't compete at the senior elite level. 

“Only a miracle would get me to Beijing anyway; its two years away.” Erin said. “But London, Rio, and wherever it is four years after that are still a reality. At least they are with a lot of hard work. Now is the time to make some of the biggest decisions of the next decade of my life. Adding anything more will surely send all my plates crashing to the ground.”

“So keep Rossi around for shits and giggles.” Ursula said. “You're going to need them if you're planning out the next ten years of your life.”

“Is that fair though? I mean is that fair to David?”

“As long as he knows where you stand I think it’s perfectly fair. Also, you are under a lot of stress and pressure. If anyone deserves to be eaten out on a regular schedule, it’s you.”

“It helps.” Erin nodded.

“I should probably tell you something too, before I go.”

“There's more? You are not having the best weekend, hon.”

“It’s not bad. It’s kinda good but kinda neutral, and just kinda something I guess.” Ursula said. “The Rossi thing made me think it’s about time to fess up. Rachel Harding has been my girlfriend for like the past year. I don’t even know if we’d use the word girlfriend but…we’re together.”

“Who's Rachel Harding?” Erin asked. She started racking her brain for all the girls she knew, and Erin knew a lot of girls. The name wasn’t quite registering though it sounded like one she’d heard before. She rarely forgot a name or a face.

“She goes to school with us.”

“I'm drawing a blank…and I rarely draw a blank.” Erin said.

“We had an assembly two weeks ago about community safety.” Ursula said. “Rachel did a presentation.”

“Oh Hearse, I never pay attention in those things.”

Hearse was one of Ursula’s nicknames. Erin started calling her that in the eighth grade because she said when she got her driver’s license she would buy a hearse and paint it taxi cab yellow. Since it was also similar to the name Ursula, it stuck.

“She was the redhead.”

“OK, I um…ohhh…seriously?”

“Yeah.” Ursula nodded.

“She was cute.” Erin gave her best friend a friendly punch on the arm. “She was totally adorable cute.”

“She has pink nipples, Strauss…it’s a turn on. I mean it’s not the only thing I like about her or anything but, goddamn it’s a turn on. She's got a killer body.”

“I only think intently about naked women when I'm with you.” 

“That’s a shame.” Ursula shook her head.

“Isn’t Rachel a freshman?” Erin asked.

“She's a sophomore; just one year behind us. It’s not serious but I thought I should tell you. I didn’t want to keep it anymore. How I live my life shouldn’t be a secret.”

“You're damn right it shouldn’t be. And you know I’ll always support who you love and how you love. Is she out?”

“Actually the term I used to use about her was bi-curious. But now I'm starting to realize that Rachel’s not really into guys that much. She’s attracted to a few but the cock doesn’t seem to be her thing. Right now we’re just doing what makes us comfortable and not labeling stuff. It’s working.”

“It’s been working for like a year!” Erin exclaimed. “I should’ve known someone was up when you stopped talking about your romantic adventures. I thought maybe you were having a dry spell because you're so busy.”

“Bite your tongue.” Ursula shuddered. “Sex is my favorite way to release, after writing. Sex with Rachel is fucking amazing. But I hear what you're saying about not wanting to like someone too much. You don’t want to put yourself out there and just be out there.”

“I feel bad for enjoying hooking up with Rossi and then kinda rejecting him in other ways. Why the hell should I feel bad? Guys do it all the time. Plus I told him, OK I'm gonna tell him, that I can't do the boyfriend-girlfriend thing. He's going to get his opportunity to walk away.”

“He won't.” Ursula said.

“Why not?”

“No person in their right mind would walk away from you, even if it was just a fling. They’d settle, at least for a little while, to being a passing fancy. Even if you don’t admit it yourself, Erin, you still know it. Your energy is off the chart. Your sexual energy simmers underneath your skin like an active volcano. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want you to sit on their face, you know not to be vulgar or anything?”

“That’s a compliment, right?” Erin asked. It was a little vulgar but something about it still made her smile.

“It’s a compliment.” Her best friend nodded.

“OK. I still say he bolts.”

“Well if that makes you feel some type of way you’ve already answered a lot of questions.”

“Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“Ha-ha.” Ursula punched her arm. Then she pulled up her hoodie. “I need to get out of here. I have to get the train back to the city and act like there's stuff I need to do tonight.”

“Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” Erin asked.

“It’s not too far, about a half mile or so. I actually like walking because it gives me time to think.”

“Text me when you get there.”

“I will.”

Ursula stood on the back porch and so did Erin. They walked down the stairs and around to the front of the house. It was getting chillier; the rain fell steady but not hard. Ursula checked her back pocket for her mace. She also made sure she had her cell phone and house keys. She hadn’t carried her usual messenger bag of stuff today. With everything on her mind the physical weight had been too much.

“You can probably say that Rachel is my girlfriend. I think about it sometimes, just not too much.” Ursula said while they stood in front of Joanna Strauss’ perfectly manicured shrubs.

“I was thinking about it too, even if I never planned to say it aloud. Being together for a year kinda kills the whole fling thing.”

“It also sucks that my mom would rather write in Switzerland, or whatever, than be here with me and Dad. She’s left us before so I don’t know why I'm not used to it.”

“If you ever want to talk, or not talk, you know I'm here Hearse. You can come over, smuggle in snacks, and we’ll watch Ingrid Bergman films.”

“I love you, Erin.” Ursula leaned back, her hooded head falling on Erin’s shoulder.

“I love you more.” She pulled down the hood and rustled Ursula’s short brown hair. 

There were also streaks of purple in it now. For years it had been long, which suited her fine. But one day she just came to school with it all chopped off. No one ever really said a thing about it, Ursula liked to change her appearance. In fourth grade she wore a patch for a month, insisting she was a pirate. She was a kooky kid…she was Erin Strauss’ best friend.

Ursula gave her a peck on the cheek. She stood straight again, taking a clove form her pocket. There was nothing wrong with having one for the road. Erin watched her walk across the rest of the lawn to the sidewalk and then down the street. The neighborhood was rather quiet today. 

Spring hadn’t quite sprung; it seemed as if it never would. There was cold rain and threats of more snow before March supposedly went out like a lamb. Yeah right. When she couldn’t see her anymore, Erin still stood for a while and watched down the street. It was only her mother coming to the front door of the house that made her turn her attention away.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” Joanna asked.

“I was just watching Ursula off.” Erin replied. “I didn’t know you were back.”

“I got here about 15 minutes ago. She didn’t want a ride? It’s raining out here.”

“She preferred the walk; wanted to clear her mind.”

“Well alright. Is she going to call you when she gets to the train?” Joanna asked.

“Yes.”

“It’s chilly out here, Erin. You should come inside.”

Erin nodded, walking across the grass, up the walkway, and onto her porch. She smiled when Joanna put her arms around her.

“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

“I do.” The teen sighed.

“Do you want to talk about it? We can put on a pot of coffee, some Carly Simon, and just talk.”

“For real?” Erin looked at her, memories of many of their powwows making her smile.

“Yes, for real. It’s been a while and I think that has something to do with my schedule as well as yours.” Joanna said. “I'm free right now and I’d love to spend an hour with my daughter.”

She hugged her mom tightly just trying to hold on to her smile. Erin wasn’t the only one who was so busy that she couldn’t see straight. Her mother was a working mom and always had been. Still, there was rarely a time Joanna didn’t create a space for her daughter. As Erin got busier, the space shrank. After sitting and talking with Ursula about a mother who wasn’t there for her, Erin wanted nothing more than to curl up in her mother’s arms and never leave.

“I'm growing up too fast.” She murmured as they walked into the house.

“Tell me about it.” Joanna kissed her forehead.

“How can I stop the ride? Can I slow it down just a little?”

“I'm afraid at this point all you can do is hold on and don’t let it make your stomach sick. It can all go by too fast sometimes sweetheart, but there are also times when you can look out and enjoy everything happening around you. You can even pull over and take a breather. You'll learn how to control it as you get older and more experienced. I'm here to help.”

“There's a guy I may like more than I want or need to.” Erin said. “I also don’t think I want to go to the Olympics, but that might just be fear talking.”

“This definitely calls for coffee.” Joanna said. “I’ll get the big mugs.”

***


End file.
